Nail-string machine



G. C. F. WILLIAII/IS.l

NAIL STRING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue. Io, 191s. IIEIIEWED IuI.Y I8. I921.

1,397, 1 9 1. Patented Nov. 15, 1921,

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ri' in i wat@ limit c HART'FRD, CONNECTC'UT.

NAlL-STRKNG LMIACHN iss-misi.

Application filed lAugust l0, 191,

f'o all fio/0m t may concern .Be it known that l. Geenen C. l?. lli/*IL- formed nail blanks, for use in the manufacture ot' horseshoe-nails, and the improvements consist in the organization and operation of the successive rolling dies ot such a machine whereby the stock, in continuous form7 is caused to pass in a helical path through all ot said dies to produce a completed nail string in a single machine, there by resulting in economy of `tloor space and in other advantages which will be apparent from the description which Jiollows.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l illustrates in perspective7 although more or less diagrammatically, the essential features of my invention and the relation of the principal parts oi a machine incorporating said invention, and also the path of the stock therethrough as above described, without however, showing in detail all the stock guiding means.

Fig. 2 illustrates in section and partly in elevation the principal parts ot said guiding means; and

Fig. 3 a plan view also with parts omitted.

Fig. 4; is a cross section oi a. friction holder.

Referring to these figures, the machine consists ot a single bed plate having a main drive shaft l journaled on it and carrying the housings 2 upstanding thereon for some six or more pairs oft die rolls 3. rlFhese housings may be assumed to be ot appropriate design and provided with adequate bearings for, and proper means of adjustment of, the die rolls which are journaled therein. F or convenience of illustration, the drawing` indicates these well understood details only in a general way. |The several die rolls are mounted in longitudinal positions on the bed and substantially in axial alinement with each other, although exact alinement is not necessary, and each roll carries suitably seated upon and secured to it, an annular set of die blocks marked et, those on the upper rolls being properly spaced with relation to those on the lower rolls so that their Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. l. lifl..

rateneea ruw. is, resi.,

Renewed July 18, 192.1.. Serial No. 485,792.

respective die cavities or surfaces will reoister as will be understood. All ot the die cavities For each pair or' rolls are of the samesize and represent one ot the stages of the development ot' thek rod stock todnailstring torni. ln the case of the machine illustrateda it is intended that the nailstrinfr hal be reduced from plain stock to orm by sin die-rolling` operations and hence here are sii: pairs of cooperating die sets Vuit obviously there is no limitation in this respectn and a greater number of sets might o prererred in order to distribute the wear the machine over greater number ot surfaces. Y I

The several die-carrying rolls or members are driven in the same direction by their respective gears and pinions 5 from their common drive shaitt l. the Erst pair7 (at the lett hand of l) being driven at a slower rate than the others as presently described.

r'lhe continuous metal stock of which the nal string is formed, being a rod of rectanginar cross-section, is introduced into the pass between the annular series ont die blocks ci the first pair of rolls at the end of the machine and on emerging from the dies of Jthese Erst rolls turns upwardly and obliquely rearward and over to the opposite or entrance side of the pass between the nerr-t or second pair of rolls, and so on., through the third pair and the rest ci the series, thus describing a substantially helical path through the machine and emerging` from the last pass as a linished nail-string. rllhe first pair of die rolls performs the initial rolling operation upon the stock by the pairs of registering die cavities thereon and thereby, for a single revolution, blanks out upon the rod stock as many blanks of the initial stage, as there are die cavities in the set on that pair of rolls; this may be six or more, depending upon the diameter of the roll. The section of stock representing the iirst spire on? the helix is thus constituted by a succession or string oi' rudimentary blanks all alike and each in its initial stage. The die sets of the second pair of rolls receive and roll this stock in a quarter-turned position from that in which it passed through the :first set, in order to roll the edges of the stock as it passes through the tirst set and the loop or spire of stock between the first and second rolls is large enough to accommodate the helical curvature as well as this quartenturn without permanent distortion.

lt is necessary that the blank be rolled alternately on its sides and edges in each suc-Y ceeding pass throughout the machine and hence each spire is similarly turned a quarter-turn. The second die set rolls the blanks of the first spire to give them the slightly elongated torni ot the second stage or development and receives the stock from the iirst spire under the guidance ot a curved feed tube or channel 9V and also under the retarding iniiuence ot' a friction holder mechanism wherebythe entering` blanks are held back and thereby caused to register 'with the several die cavities oi the said second set of die blocks. Similar guide tubes and friction holders are supplied to the entrance et the pass oi each succeeding` pair ot die rolls, but as all operate in exactly the same way, only one, that i'or the last pass, is illustrated in the drawing. rlhe friction holder consists ot a base mounted on a frame bracket 11 and provided with a stock groove 12 leading directly inte the pass of the rolls. A friction shoe 18 is appropriately mounted on the base and provided with a tongue entering the groove, and pressed against the stock therein by the action of a spring 111, 'the latter being controlled by a cam lever 15. The construction is clearly shown in Fig. 1. ln every alternate friction holder the groove receives the stock on edge thus constituting the means whereby the quarter-turn is imparted to the successive spires. The die-cavities around all or the rolls except the iirst are separated by clearance spaces having no advancing ettect on the stock as illustrated. in Fig. 2, and the friction holders coperate with these spaces to retain the stock in position where the nail head cavities ot each block will register with the head 'formation on the stock as they come into engagement with it. The die cavities et the first pair of rolls are continuous around each roll as shown in Fig, 1, that is to say, with no clearances between them, and the rate ot rotation ot these rolls, and of the advance ot the stock ther through, is constant and suited to maintain a constant length of stock in the first spire. This means in practice that the first rolls deliver into the first spire as many blanks as the second pair oi rolls takes in, in one rotation. All of the succeeding pairs of rolls deliver an equal number of blanks on each rotation and all said rolls are driven at the same speed.

On the delivery side of each pair ot die rolls, the issuing stock is received in a channel 16 formed in a bracket 17, and which is curved upwardly to give the stock an easy upward direction preparing it to follow its helical path. Each upstanding spire of stock is supported and steadied by a horizontal rod, 1S, carried on posts rising from the machine frame, or which may, if desired,

be otherwise supported as, tor insta-nce, from the ceiling ot' the room in which the machine is installed.

The operation ot the machine will be apparent Yfrom the description above given and will be evident that by mounting the whole series ci die sets upon a common :trame and driving them 'from a common drive shatt jeurnaled in the same trame and aise by leading the steelt through the helical path, the machine provides a nail-rolling equipment e: :remely reliable and positive in action and oi' most compact term as compared to prior equipment tor making the saine product. lt is to be understood, moreover, that except as specified in the claims, the invention is not limited in respect to the size, iroportion or relative arrangement of the various parts above described, and that various substitutions, modifications, subtractions from and additions to the apparatus illustrated be resorted to without departing from the invention.

l claim*- 1. A nail-string machine comprising a series of successively arranged pairs ot rotary die sets having die-cavities suited for successively die-rolling a continuous rod stock to nail-string form, a drive-shalt tor driving all the die sets and guiding means for directing the sL in a substantially helical tool; path through the successive passes between aid pairs of die sets.

2. A nail-string machine comprising a trame, a series of successively arranged pairs ci, rotary die sets journaled thereon and suited tor successively die-rolling a continuous rod stock to nail-string torni, a drive-shaft common to all said die sets and driving the saine in the same direction and means tor guiding said stoclr in a substantially helical path through said series of die sets and imparting a quarter-turn to the stock between the passes thereof.

i nail-string machine comprising a traine, a series or successively arranged pairs oi die rolling members journaled thereon, and suited for successively die-rolling a continuous rod stock to nail-string term, a drive-shaft common to all said members, journaled in the trame Vand driving said members in the same direction, means for guiding the stock in a helical path through said series of members, said means comprising a friction holder` on the entrance side of each pass through said members, and cooperating therewith to register the stock with the die-cavities of said members.

11. A nail-string machine comprising a main traine, a series of successively arranged pairs et rotary die sets journaled thereon and suited for successively die-rolling a con.- tinuous rod stock to nail-string form, said sets each comprising a plurality ot die blocks of the same size of die cavity, in vcombination with a drive shaft common to all said members and rotating them in the same direction and means for guiding and directing the said stock in a substantially helical mth through said series of die sets.

5. A nail-string machine comprising a series of successively arranged die rolls each carrying a rotary die set and suited for successively die-rolling a continuous rod stock to nail-string form, a drive shaft having separate operating connection to each pair of die rolls and itself journaled in the main 'frame oiE the machine and means for directing the stock in a helical path through said series of die sets.

6. A nail-string machine comprising a series of successively arranged pairs of rotary die sets having die-cavities suited for successively die-rolling a continuous rod stock to nail-string form, a drive-shaft Jfor driving all the die sets, guiding means for directing' the stock in a substantially helical path through the successive passes between said pairs of die sets, and means for supporting the spires of the heliX above the Inachine.

ln testimony whereof l have signed this specification.

GEORGE C. F. WlLLIAMS. 

